UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON — Two University of Dayton researchers have received nearly $500,000 to investigate new approaches for detecting and potentially treating non-small cell lung cancer.
The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to Shawn Swavey, professor of chemistry, and Kristen Krupa, chair of UD’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, to support their project.
According to a press release, the project will center on creating fluorescent imaging tools to better understand how stress within cancer cells can be harnessed for detection and potential treatment.
The researchers plan to design probes that monitor cancer cell activity and deliver therapies directly to the endoplasmic reticulum, a key part of the cell. These probes will be tested across a family of compounds that can act as real-time stress sensors, carry chemotherapy drugs straight to tumor sites, and function as light-activated agents to trigger cancer cell death.
This method could pave the way for new approaches in diagnosing and treating non-small cell lung cancer. The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2025 reports an estimated 226,650 new lung cancer cases and 124,730 deaths in the U.S. this year, with 87% of cases classified as non-small cell lung cancer. Lung and bronchus cancers remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
“This work has the potential to open new doors in how we detect and treat lung cancer,” Swavey said. “By designing molecules that can identify and attack cancer cells, we hope to create tools that can be adapted for future therapies.”
Swavey specializes in developing and testing organic compounds for medical use, while Krupa studies how materials, particularly nanomaterials, interact with the body, including their role in inflammation.
The project will also offer students valuable research opportunities. The grant will fund four undergraduates each year to help design and test the probes in lung cancer cells.
“Our goal is not only to advance science but also to train the next generation of researchers who will continue this important work,” Krupa said.
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